Liquid rheostat



. 3, 1961 A. F; JOHNSON, JR

LIQUID RHEOSTAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 27. 1960 INVENTQR ANDERJ'mv f. Joan/saw.

ynwllw Oct. 3, 1961 A, F. JOHNSON, JR 3,003,130

LIQUID nmos'm" Filed July 27. 1,960 2 Sheets-Shut 2 lllhlllll wil lll INVENTOR ANOERJ'ON EJ000130, JR.

lvi-w -w Anderson F. Johnson, In, Salem, Va., as 'm' to General This invention relates to liquid rheostats, and more h in the cell 1 thereby forming acooling path forthe elecparticularly relates to improved construction of insulation which are a part of the active electrical circuit, thereby introducing safety hazards to operating personnel. Suspended cells of prior art construction frequently use a portion of the interior volume of the cell for means of conveyance of cooled electrolyte. to the bottom of the cell, and frequently provide undesirable electrolyte leakage due to the multiplicity of gasketed surfaces of dis- Another'feature that has been found to be disadvantageous in most conventional liquid rheostats is the used for obtaining a precisely parallel relationship of the moving and fixed electrodes. Usually this mechanism is inaccessible and cumbersome, thereby making maintenance diflicult and construction costly.

This invention is directed to an improved construction for the above noted deficiencies, and provides a cell construction composed entirely of insulating material and having integral therewith a supporting flange and an external electrolyte port so that the bottom of the cell forms no part of the electrical circuit, the only electrical component external of the bottom of the cell being a connection to one of the electrodes.

g i f or I 30 0 Patented-Oc t.3, 1961 m lupon the floor of atank 11 containing electrolyte 1!),

AT there bemg a gasket 5 for effecting a seal between the tank and the, cell. A pump 12 is connected by suitable pipes-l3 from the tank ll to cheat exchanger 16 and a header connected via a duct 14 to areturnportl trolyte. Electrolyte 10 is circulated from the bottom of the tank 11. to the bottom of the cell 1 via the aforementioned cooling path. An electrode 6 supported by a stud 7 is mounted to the bottom of the cell 1, being provided with a liquid retaining disc 21, a gasket,

and a clamping nut 23 threaded to the stud 7. The pipes 13 and the duct 14 are made of insulating material. The electrode 6 may be provided with holes to permit passage of the electrolyte.

At thetop of cell 1 the other electrode 8 is supported by a stud 9 (suspended by supporting means not shown). The electrodes may also have holes for electrolyte passage. Referring also to FIG. 2 the electrode 8 is provid ed with an aligning mechanism including a hub 17, three arms 18, and three tapped cylinders 19, one at the end of each arm 18, each of the cylinders 19 being provided with an adjusting bolt 20 bearing upon the upper sur-,

face of the electrode 8. The hub 17 is attached to the rod 9; however, the electrode 8 is also rigidly attached to the rod 9. Adjustment of the bolts 20, therefore, in order to make the lower surface of electrode 8 parallel with the upper surface of electrode 6, causes a deflection of the rod 9 in the'portion between the hub 17 and the electrode 8. 'lhis arrangement'provides a fine adjustment of electrode alignment that is readily It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a liquid rheostat of unitary insulating material and support.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gravity seal between the rheostat cell and the electrolyte tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a liquid rheostat simple electrode adjustment mechanism for obtaining parallel alignment of the electrodes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a liquid rheostat construction having external electrolyte ducts rather than internal ducts.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its ormization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by referring to the following description and the ying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of the novel cell and rheostat construction illustrating the manner in which the cell is connected with the electrolyte tank and electrolyte circulating system.

FIGURE 2 shows the assembly of the electrode alignins n-uunflu View.

FIGURE '3 is a more detailed view of the cell construction with a portion cut away to show its unitary de sign and the integral supporting flange.

ReferringtoFIGS. land3ofthedrawingsaeell1in the form of an open-ended cylinder of insulating material is illustratedsupported by an integral flange accessible from thetop of the cell 1.

The level of electrolyte normally is maintained above thetopofcelllasindicatedbytheheavylinesshown near the top of the tank 11 in FIG. 1. Consequently the cell 1, being filled with electrolyte, bears upon the flange 2 and the gasket 5 against the lioorof the tank 11 with a force proportional to the weight of the electrolyte to provide a gravity seal. When the cell is required to be removed for maintenance purposes, the electrolyte is drained off andthe gravity seal is relieved so that the cell may be'easily taken from the tank 11. This provides a a unique arrangement not found in previous liquid rheostats that reduces the periodic maintenance time requiredto be performed in devices.

While this invention has been explainedand described with the aid of a particular embodiment thereof, itwill be understood that the'invention is not thereby and that many modificationswill occur to those skilled container, electrolyte solution in both containers arranged in a manner so that the weight of said solution bears upon said juncture to etiect a gravity seal, means for circulating externally said solution between said containers ineluding a heat exchanger, and a pair of spaced electrodes in the second said container.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said second container is submerged in the said first container.

3. The invention of claim 2 with the further provision that 'both containers are of insulating material.

4. The invention according to claim 1 including a connection to one of said electrodes projecting through the extended portion of said second container.

5. The invention of l with the further provision 8. The invention of claim 5 with the further provision 10 of means to adjust one of said electrodes to have its active surface parallel with the active surface of the other electrode, said means including a tripod support for the adjustable elect-rode whereby variation of the tripod supporting elements regulates the said parallel relationship.

6 References (Zited file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,735,057 Schaelchlin Feb. 14, 1956 l. t e, 

